Rain felt Lupin's absence from Hogwarts as though someone had rewound the clock and returned the Scottish countryside from spring to winter, closing the freshly bloomed flowers and inviting frost back over the windows. From the time she, Harry and Dumbledore watched him stagger out of his office, to the morning she stood above her bed packing her things six days later, each moment spanned the length of ten. Not only was she forced to put on a happy face through the exodus of his company during the evenings, but she could not even look at him in the classroom, or receive a subtle smile from his lips in affirmation that he held as tender thoughts for her as she for him.

Exams gave her the most torture. Looking at a blank piece of parchment and trying not to see his face; sitting in a quiet room and attempting to focus on words that didn't matter because the memory of his rung in the silence. She could have dipped her quill and written a novel's worth of feelings, and would have, had she received a single letter from Lupin to start with. He said writing wasn't necessary but could he not, at least, have sent word of his safe arrival home? Had he even arrived safely? Rain zipped her suitcase and looked at her train ticket, the one he'd given her to join him in Yorkshire that would leave in two hours' time. Her feelings naturally gave way to more paranoid assumptions: perhaps she would find him having changed his mind after a week in solitude. Perhaps he wouldn't be there when she exited the train at all. The idea sent a nervous wave of dread through her stomach.

Suddenly her best friend Violet burst into the room, face flushed pink and gasping for air as she stumbled onto her bed, belly down.

Rain rushed beside her. "What's wrong?!"

Violet sniffled and sobbed into her pillow. Rain gently placed a hand on her back.

"Oliver has just told me he wishes to go to Dorset alone."

Violet had been dating the Gryffindor team captain, Oliver Wood, since just before Christmas. He'd accepted an offer to play for Puddlemore United's reserve team shortly after winning the Quidditch cup.

Rain's heart sank. She knew why this decision was particularly difficult for Violet to bear. Oliver had always been the type to use and abuse, but then they both believed that this time his intentions were genuine.

"Oh, Violet, I don't know what to say."

"Say I was an idiot to think I would be any different from the other daft dimbos he's dated."

"I'll do no such thing. You are different, and brilliant, and he'll realize it soon enough. He's the stupid one."

"Then why am I the one who feels so bad?"

Because it's hardly been two weeks since you trusted him with something more intimate than any other boy you've dated? Rain thought, but had not the heart to say it. "I promise you won't feel like this forever. Someday you'll be happy that you didn't get stuck with someone so obviously beneath you."

"I'm never falling in love again. Or playing quidditch."

"I know it seems that way now, but you will. Just give it time."

They stayed there a long while. Rain didn't instigate any further conversation, knowing it best to allow Violet her cry. Eventually two envelopes drifted into the room, one landing on Rain's bed and the other on Violet's back. With a curious brow, she wiped her eyes and sat up. Rain, too, grabbed her letter and returned next to her friend. Together they tore the seal and unfolded the parchment, reading aloud.

Please come to my office immediately.

"It's signed from Dumbledore," Rain said.

"Mine, too. What can he want?"

"Seeing as I have no additional long lost siblings with whom to reunite, I'm as clueless as you."

Violet tucked her hair behind her ear and approached the mirror to dab at her nose. Rain reread the letter, hoping it didn't mean the Headmaster somehow discovered the unsuitable relationship with her former professor, but then there would be no reason to invite Violet. She slipped the letter into the front pocket of her suitcase and put her arm around Violet's shoulders.

"Bless him, Dumbledore, giving us something to distract ourselves. Wasn't that what you always recommended every time I was cross over Remus?"

"I'm beginning to realize how useless my advice to you was. Why did you ever listen?"

"Because it really does work. You'll see."

They made their way down through the common room and out the portrait while waving goodbye to a few friends along the way. The Headmaster was organizing a cabinet full of vials when they entered his office.

"Ms. Marquis, Ms. Merryweather, thank you for coming so promptly," he said.

"The letter did say to arrive immediately," Violet answered.

Rain gave her a look. Violet had never in her life taken a tone with any teacher. She chalked it up to how miserable she must have felt. "And we were happy to do it, Sir."

"Please sit."

They seated themselves and Dumbledore did the same.

"I am aware that the two of you are likely eager to see your families and celebrate your graduation..."

"Not really," mumbled Violet.

"...but I wonder if you might be interested in attending a meeting of sorts which will take place this evening."

"A meeting for what?" Rain asked.

"The Order of the Phoenix."

Rain had no idea what that meant, but, as usual, Violet did. The former look of vexation on her face was pushed away by her widening eyes. "I thought the Order ended when You-Know-Who was defeated?"

"That is true, but recent events, which I'm sure Ms. Marquis has shared with you, lead us to believe Voldemort may again rise to power. Peter Pettigrew's escape could bring forth dark and terrible times, as he was a loyal supporter and unlikely to pass up the opportunity to serve a more powerful master. It is his nature."

Rain finally spoke. "So, thus far, I've pieced together that the Order of the Phoenix is some kind of resistance movement?"

"Exactly."

"Is the Ministry aware?"

"No. It is a secret and, I will not lie, very dangerous organization, but the two of you possess abilities that would be essential to us. Rain, you can speak to animals and Violet, I hear you rival Professor Snape in the potions lab."

"Not from Snape, I imagine," Violet said.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"How do you know about the Order if it's so secret?" Rain asked Violet.

"My dad works at St. Mungo's with the Longbottoms. I'll...explain later," Violet replied, then exchanged a dour expression with the Headmaster.

"Do we have to decide right now?" Rain asked. "It's a pretty big decision."

Not to mention it would take place at the exact time that Rain should reunite with Lupin. Yes, it was selfish to put her needs above that of the balance between good and evil, and had they not gone a week without seeing each other, the inconvenience might be forgivable. Still...

"Come to the meeting tonight. You will see a few familiar faces..." Dumbledore looked at Rain, "...including your brother, Matthew, along with Professors Snape and Lupin. Well, former Professor Lupin."

Rain's heart stopped and she knew her features visibly altered, though she tried to act impassive. She shouldn't have been surprised at Lupin's involvement in this Order of the Phoenix business but the revelation still blindsided her. Why did he not tell her of these plans before, or did he intend to keep them hidden? As for her brother, his new job as an auror with Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody perfectly meshed with its objectives.

"We'll come," Violet said.

"Wonderful, wonderful. You can take the Hogwarts Express back to London and the Knight Bus to 12 Grimmauld Place. I will meet you at the entrance at five o'clock this evening."

The girls stood.

"It's a good thing you will already carry your belongings with you. These meetings tend to take a while."

Rain visited the last of her professors, hugged Hagrid goodbye and returned to her dormitory one final time. Every other year when the room emptied as the students shuffled out to the train station, she took comfort knowing that the bare walls were only temporary. Soon she would be back to lay claim to the closest thing she had to home, fall asleep to whispers passed back and forth to Violet and know that her closest friends all stood only a short walk away, but not this time. This time when she passed through those doors and down the stairs, her path would end at 12 Grimmauld Place, joining a group of adults set out to destroy evil, and then, perhaps, to a life with the man she loved (if he still wanted her), but never again to the comfort and safety of Hogwarts.

Before taking the first steps, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd forgotten anything. She looked at her bag, opened her drawers and checked her reflection in the mirror. Everything had been packed correctly. Still, she couldn't shake that a task had yet to be completed.

"Are you ready?" Violet asked, extending the handle to her rolling suitcase.

"I suppose if there's anything I've forgotten, Rosmerta is only a stone's throw away."

"I just realized this is your first time on the Hogwarts Express..."

"When your aunt owns The Three Broomsticks, the train isn't exactly necessary."

"...and on your last day at Hogwarts, too!"

"If you're trying to make me cry, you won't have to wait much longer."

"No, no. We've had enough of that today," Violet said, raising her wand and turning out the lights.

Rain, too, pulled out her new wand and levitated her heavy suitcase.

"Goodbye, Gryffindor."

Rain and Violet arrived in London, promising to keep in touch with several of their mates off the train, and headed to the street. Violet stuck her wand out as if hailing a cab, and a purple, triple-decker bus promptly appeared before them, coming to a halt with a loud squeal of the machinery. A boy about Rain's age with large ears and several pimples practically shot putted their belongings into a storage bin and rushed them along to their seats, which they were not even connected with when the bus blasted forward forcefully enough to give Rain a sense of whiplash. Moving at speeds which would make rockets green with envy, the stop for 12 Grimmauld Place came quickly. Both Rain and Violet had to take several deep breaths before standing and exiting the bus, gripping the railing so that they met the curb with their feet and not their faces.

As soon as they felt situated with their sense of balance and proper belongings, they heard a crack and Dumbledore appeared.

"Ah, ladies, right on time," he said, then clapped his hands. The building before them, full of unsuspecting muggles sitting down to eat dinner or chatting on the telephone, split between numbers 11 and 13, revealing a hidden residence. They passed through an iron gate and up a few steps. Dumbledore reached and used the doorknocker to sound their presence.

"What is this place?" Violet asked.

The door opened and Sirius stood before them, only he'd groomed his long, wiry hair, eaten a few decent meals, and dressed in the robes of a well-to-do wizard. He raised an eyebrow and said in an overly dramatic tone, "Welcome, all, to the noble house of Black."

Rain smiled at him but Violet gasped, dropping her suitcase handle and causing it to roll down the small stoop on which they stood.

"Sirius, I'm happy to see you're looking well," Dumbledore said.

Sirius smirked, then put his hand on Dumbledore's back to guide him inside, meanwhile Violet fetched her suitcase.

"You remember I told you he was innocent?" Rain asked softly.

"Right. Of course. Sirius Black. We're in Sirius Black's house," Violet repeated. "Safe and sound."

"Yes, very safe indeed."

The state of the Black residence only slightly surpassed that of the Shrieking Shack. Cobwebs hung everywhere and floorboards creaked. The faces in frames on the wall were distorted from layers of dust.

"Kreacher!" yelled Sirius.

A brooding house elf with a crooked nose hobbled from the shadows. "Master?"

"Show our guests where they'll be staying."

"Kreacher is happy to show filthy half-breeds to their room."

"Quietly!" Sirius snapped, then looked at the girls. "Apologies, he came with the house."

Sirius probably assumed either Violet or Rain were muggle-born, and Rain, of course, did not explain that they both came from pure-blood wizarding families and that Kreacher must have somehow detected the hint of lycanthropy in her when he referred to a "half-breed." She instinctively rubbed the bite mark on her shoulder given by Lupin and prayed that the house elf would not say anything more damning.

They followed him up a flight of stairs and to a room where Nymphadora Tonks already unpacked her belongings. "Wotcher Rain! Violet!"

"Tonks, I didn't realize you would be here," Violet said. "How are you?"

"Great, about to head downstairs. Mad-Eye and Matthew are here, too."

"Mad-Eye? As in Alastor Moody?" Violet asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, but don't call him that," Tonks warned.

Rain didn't bother unpacking, as she felt eager to get downstairs and see if Lupin had arrived, so she left her bags. They followed Tonks back to the ground floor, through a long, narrow hallway, over a rug, which the pink-haired witch tripped on, and through a door to a dining room with a table big enough to seat twenty. Matthew and Mad-Eye sat talking with Sirius and Dumbledore, along with a man Rain remembered as Bill Weasley and another she had never met, while a red-haired witch fussed about the state of the room.

"This won't do, surely the Burrow would be better? I don't think I found a single dish worth eating off of."

"The Burrow isn't half as well-protected, my dear," another man said as he kissed her cheek. When he noticed the girls enter, he asked matter-of-factly, "And who might you be?"

Matthew stood and greeted Rain. "Arthur, this is my sister, Rain, and her friend...?"

"Violet."

"Right. They've just graduated this morning."

Molly smiled. "Oh, you'll know our Percy then."

"Percy Weasley?" Rain asked.

"That's him! Head boy."

"Of course, we were in Gryffindor, too," Violet said.

"Then you'll know the lot of them," Arthur added. "And we are Arthur and Molly Weasley."

"Pleased to meet you," Violet and Rain both said, nodding.

"Percy would be here, too, but he insisted on starting his internship with Fudge right away," Molly said, a little downcast.

Matthew continued around the table. "You probably recognize Bill Weasley from Hogwarts, and this is Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shaklebolt."

Rain knew it would take time to remember these names and faces, but luckily all of them smiled kindly. Well, except for Mad-Eye, whose eyeball swirled and inspected them as if he were deciding whether they were worthy enough to keep this secret.

The girls sheepishly found a spot to sit. Violet took the nearest which, not realizing until too late, was right beside Sirius. She almost changed her mind but did not want to appear rude. Amused, Sirius stood and pulled the chair out for her.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

Rain laughed and sat on the other side of him. Before she could ask, he turned to her and said, "He's not here yet."

Sirius was the only person outside of Violet and Hermione Granger who knew why she sighed disappointingly at this news. Where could Lupin be? She put her attention towards the others at the table.

"You must be some impressive young ladies for Dumbledore to have invited you here," Molly said, her twinkling eyes dancing from Bill to Rain, then Bill to Violet.

"Which means if I don't marry one of them by tea time, you'll make the choice for me?" Bill replied, looking at his mother.

Everyone else laughed, but Molly persisted proudly, "He works in banking, you know."

Bill brought his palm to his forehead.

"Anyone care to help me in the kitchen?" she asked.

Tonks sprung up, "Sure!"

Molly graciously accepted, but Rain could tell the idea of Tonks' clumsy nature around glassware made her nervous.

"I'll come," Rain said.

Not wanting to be left alone, Violet followed, "I'd...better go, too."

Thankfully, the kitchen seemed much cleaner than the rest of the house. Molly must have tended to it. At the very least, they wouldn't have to worry about swallowing a spider in their dinner.

"Can you make dough?" Molly asked them.

"I can," Rain replied. "Madam Rosmerta's my aunt and I usually help out at the pub."

"Oh, excellent. Tonks, you join her."

Rain was hoping to have some private time with the spunky young auror. Tonks had worked alongside her brother, Matthew, since the spring holiday. As far as Rain knew, both had feelings for the other but Matthew refused her wishes for a relationship on the account of his lycanthropy. Given Rain's remarkably similar situation with Lupin, she tried to think of some advice to offer without confessing their story.

"I'll mix the ingredients and you can help knead," Rain said.

"Sounds good to me," Tonks replied.

Rain dissolved the yeast, cracked some eggs, and added the flour little bits at a time. "So my brother has told me a lot about you."

Tonks laughed. "Hopefully he doesn't recount all of the glasses I've broken or stairs I've tripped on."

"All good things. Very good things, actually."

"Oh..." Tonks replied. "Well he could have fooled me."

"Matthew can be stubborn, but he's just doing what he thinks is best for you."

"I've told him a hundred times, I don't care that he's a..." she checked behind her,"...well, I suppose everyone here already knows."

"I said the same thing when he and I first found each other. Matthew let me think he was dead for six years because he thought I'd be ashamed to have a werewolf for a brother. He doesn't realize that he actually causes more pain by removing his whole self just to spare me one night of the month."

"Exactly!" Tonks said. "That is just how I feel. You really get it."

"I'll work on him. Don't worry."

They rolled the dough, cut them into triangles and Molly wrapped them over the beef before sticking them in the oven.

"The meeting will start any minute now," she said, wiping her hands clean. "We best be going. These have a long time yet."

They found their way back to their seats.

"As soon as everyone has arrived, I will begin," Dumbledore said.

Rain knew he meant Lupin, for Snape had slipped in during their time in the kitchen and sat quietly beside the Headmaster, making no conversation, boring his eyes into Sirius as the wounds still lay fresh from their encounter in the Shrieking Shack.

Sirius turned to Violet. "If I recall correctly, you are bloody brilliant quidditch player."

Violet blushed. "How did you know?"

"I saw a few of Harry's games."

"Well I...I was okay, I suppose. But that's over now."

Rain leaned towards Sirius and whispered in his ear, "Try not to mention quidditch."

"Why not?"

"Violet is recovering from...Oliver Wood."

"The Gryffindor captain?"

Rain nodded.

They heard a knock at the door and Sirius stood. "That'll be Remus."

Rain felt the air escape from her throat, as if her heart traveled up and restricted her breathing. She wondered at her appearance; did she have flour in her hair or dough on her hands? Giving herself a quick check, she smoothed her navy dress and brushed some crumbs off. Voices echoed in the hallway of Sirius and Lupin greeting each other and apologies for his tardiness. As they grew closer, louder, all of the other noises in the room diminished to a faint hum. Would she look the right way, or say the right things, or be worthy enough to make him feel he'd missed her this whole time they'd been apart?

"Remus!" Tonks said cheerfully, followed by Matthew and Mad-Eye.

Rain fixed her eyes on the napkin in front of her while Sirius introduced him to the Weasleys and Kingsley. Finally, he said, "And you'll remember Violet and Rain."

Rain raised her gaze from the napkin to the candlestick, from the candlestick to the empty chair opposite her, and, tucking her hair behind her ear, mustered all of her courage and met with his.

Lupin smiled, his lips surrounded by the stubble of a five o'clock shadow, and his eyes peering through the usual amount of unkempt hair. "Of course."

That was all it took for Rain to feel the buttons on her dress grow tighter and her body temperature rise. What had she been worried about again? She returned his smile. "I...hope you've been well. Hogwarts hasn't been the same without you."

"No, I don't imagine it has," Sirius said with a devilish grin.

"I have been very much looking forward to this evening," Lupin said.

"Now if you will all be seated, I'm sure you're eager enough to eat once the meeting has adjourned," Dumbledore said.

Lupin took off his jacket and sat in the empty chair across from Rain. The old wizard stood. "I would first like to thank Sirius for volunteering his home as the new Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. I trust you all know the reason you are here: the world wanted desperately to believe that Voldemort was defeated twelve years ago, but to some, like us, who truly experienced his power, fought him face to face, we believed that one day he would return. I believe that time is approaching."

What cheer the guests brought to the derelict room faded. Rain herself had only vague memories of when You-Know-Who was in power, and her family moved around enough to where a war in Europe was conveniently ignored. She wondered if she fully understood the depth of this task.

"This time we can prepare adequately. There is space here for a potions laboratory which, if they are willing, can be operated by Severus and Violet."

"What would we make?" Violet asked.

"Veritaserum for one. We could also use plenty of wolfsbane, anti-paralysis potions, antidotes, blood-replenishing potions and polyjuice. Anything that might aid in the capture of criminals or the healing of wounds."

"Wicked," Violet whispered.

Rain couldn't imagine she looked forward to partnering with Snape, however, having taken advanced potions the year before, Violet was used to working under him. The brewing of especially powerful and dangerous drafts obviously intrigued her more.

"And Rain," Dumbledore said. She straightened in her seat. "I'll need your help recruiting any and all living creatures to our side. Your ability to speak to animals means you can explain that this war will affect them as well as us, especially if they are considered half-breed by Death Eaters. We'll need the centaurs, the giants, the werewolves, any who are willing."

Lupin cleared his throat. "That's...quite dangerous, Albus."

"Nothing she hasn't done before," Matthew said. "But then, we always had our parents to look out for us."

"I have no plans to send her alone."

"I volunteer my services," Sirius said.

"No," Dumbledore replied. "It isn't safe for you to leave here."

Sirius groaned and mumbled almost incoherently, "So I'm stuck here with the potions gurus," but it was enough for Violet to hear and she frowned at him.

Matthew piped, "I would, but I can't leave the Ministry for that long."

Tonks looked relieved.

"I'll go," Lupin said. "It...makes sense, especially if she is seeking werewolves."

"I agree completely," Dumbledore answered.

Rain tried to contain her excitement and settled for allowing herself a sly smile. She erased it quickly but Sirius caught her.

"You'll have to get used to calling him Remus instead of Professor Lupin," he chimed. "I hope it won't be a problem."

She blushed deeply and Lupin sighed, looking to the ceiling with irritation.

"If that sounds agreeable, am I to assume you both have decided to formally join the Order?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, Sir!" Violet replied excitedly.

Dumbledore looked to Rain.

"Absolutely."

"Splendid. Now let us discuss how we might use our contacts in the Ministry..."

After that moment, Rain found it difficult to pay attention to plans of Bill auditing Gringotts or Mad-Eye intercepting Fudge's office memos, especially since she always preferred improvisation over sitting and coordinating to the last detail. Even if she didn't, the distractions in the room provided far too much temptation. She studied Lupin as he watched Dumbledore speak, asked Kingsley for news of the Prime Minister, and debated Arthur over whether or not Fudge would accept a warning that Voldemort would return. Of course this meeting was important; the world was about to change. But, she'd done what she came to do and as long as she was alive, she wanted to enjoy her time. Specifically, she wanted to push away the massive piece of furniture separating her from Lupin and remember just how alive he could make her feel. She caught his eye and told him so with a look, word for word. His fingers, previously drumming the table, stopped as he soaked her body language in, but his only gave a warning back.

The timer for dinner sent an abrupt ringing sound through the dining room.

"Just as well, I believe we are at an appropriate stopping point," Dumbledore said. "I regret that Severus and I cannot stay for dinner, but I thank you for your time and attention."

Snape apparated, Molly rose and hustled to the kitchen, and Sirius saw Dumbledore out. Violet mustered the courage to make conversation with Mad-Eye and Rain felt it safe to slip away from the table without anyone noticing. She remembered seeing a library in the hallway and walked slowly enough so that if anyone in particular cared to follow, they could do so with ease.

The door didn't have the chance to close. Lupin trailed as quickly as her shadow might and locked it behind him. Rain felt the last drops of her self control hit the floor as soon as she heard the click. She cast her body onto his and kissed him deeply, embracing his scent and feeling his facial hair rub against her cheek. Lupin, too, indulged himself, caressing her arms flung about his neck and down her waist, but all too soon pushed her away.

"No, not now," he said.

"Then you shouldn't have come," Rain replied.

"I wanted to speak with you, that's all."

"If we were at your home now, as originally intended, would we be talking?"

He sighed, the word no on the tip of his tongue. "There are people still out there."

"Who are, how did you put it? Not paying attention in the least."

"We must wait until later tonight."

"I don't know about you, but I'm sharing a room with two other people. Along with the fact that the floor boards in this house creak when we so much as inhale, I doubt we'll be able to sneak around without disturbance. This may be our only chance."

"The risk is too great."

"We've had worse. Much worse."

"After we've departed we can do whatever you'd like, I swear it."

"That could take ages," Rain deplored. She took a step back and pulled open the top buttons of her dress before he could say another word. When she had his quiet, undivided attention, she continued more slowly with each new release. In anticipation of their evening together at his home, she'd neglected any undergarments. This decision proved profoundly useful here, too. "I simply cannot do it."

Lupin's jaw slackened as his eyes wandered down her bare chest and shot back up innocently. Rain stepped forward and opened his shirt. He made no attempt to stop her as she revealed his skin, marked with scars. She dipped down slightly, brought her breasts to his lower ribs, and slowly rubbed them up his chest as she stood on her tip toes to kiss him again. It was a trick she remembered him being acutely fond of. She felt his muscles tighten beneath her and his teeth gently bit her lip when she pulled hers away.

He swallowed hard. "It's always a mistake to reveal your weaknesses to a woman."

She took him by the hand and pulled him towards a table, where she sat looking up at him. Rain unbuttoned his trousers and slowly guided the zipper down. "I would like it if sympathy to my impatience could also be a weakness."

She took the opportunity while Lupin stood paralyzed and slipped his pants just below his hips. Keeping eye contact, she slowly, agonizingly ran her tongue up the length of him. His lips parted and he tipped his head back. He would not deny her now. Simply put, she'd never performed this particular favor for him. While his sense of honor was strong, his curiosity drove the determination from his eyes and replaced it with defeat. It was one of her favorite things to witness; the guiltiest of all her pleasures.

"You know you're really very wicked to do this here, Marayna."

She stroked him again. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on her shoulder to stabilize himself as his body swayed in her direction.

"You can leave if you'd like."

His feet didn't dare budge and Rain welcomed him fully into her mouth. She could hear him breathing, exhaling louder every time. He grew wide, the skin around him pulled tight, and when she felt he was close, she stopped. Lupin's eyes fluttered open and she knew he wanted to ask, beg, for her to continue.

"Though I know you well enough to expect a scolding unless this is completely your decision," Rain said. So she leaned back onto her elbows and spread her legs, bringing the hem of her dress up above her thighs. Lupin studied her swollen lips and divine figure, naked except for the small patches of her dress that remained over her arms and stomach. It was quite typical, this state of half clothed. Their urgency for each other usually grew too great to bother with such time-consuming tasks as seeing garments all the way to the floor.

"Very wicked indeed," he said.

Try as he might to appear stern, Rain saw past the furrowed brow and gruff voice and knew he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

"And if you don't address this problem now, my behavior is bound to continue," she warned.

Lupin's features softened. "Is that so?" His hands slid off her shoulders, down her arms and to her hips, which he gripped and pulled closer so that he grazed her opening. Rain quivered in anticipation. "We certainly can't have that."

She screamed as he plunged inside, then bit her lip to keep from being heard by anyone else. Her back arched when he immediately found the spot that craved him, the one that fused them into one flesh when they connected. He allowed himself a satisfied smile and pushed in again. Rain hooked her legs around his waist to keep him deeply within her and rocked her hips. At that moment, her movements were entirely for her own deafening bliss, squeezing her thighs and rippling her body once for each second she dreamed of him that week, indulging in his return. Soon Lupin's low moans grew to match.

"I'm not going to last another minute like this," he breathed.

It was Rain's turn to smile, but suddenly his words reminded her of something she'd forgotten and she gasped in horror. The very thing that morning as she packed her bags which irked her, whispering that a task remained incomplete: contraception. How could she have failed to remember? In the time they'd spent apart, she must have fallen out of the habit of performing it. Now it was almost too late.

"No!" she cried, then pushed him back by the hips.

"Christ, Rain!" He lamented at her ceasing during his most sensitive moment, but she found him with her hand and pumped forcefully, atoning for the damage she'd done. She felt hot liquid pulse onto her stomach as his phallus grew soft. Lupin bowed his head and rested it on her chest as his racing pulse diminished.

"Why...did you do that?" he finally stammered.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. There was...something I forgot."

He composed himself and stood upright, but all too quickly noticed the evidence of their activities all over Rain's dark blue dress.

"This won't do," he said.

"I've left my wand upstairs," she fretted.

Lupin's hand reached to his front pocket and his eyes bulged. "Mine is in my jacket...on my chair."

Rain stood too and fastened her buttons to inspect herself. It was as if she bore a massive scarlet letter, only it definitely wasn't scarlet.

"What are we going to do?!" he panicked. "This was a terrible...terrible idea."

"Go to the table and I will hurry upstairs and fix this."

Upon opening the door, Lupin jumped back, startled to find Molly crossing the hallway.

"Remus, come sit, soup's on!" she said cheerfully.

He signaled her with his hand to wait as he returned to the dining room. Rain quickly grabbed the largest book she could find, an atlas, and held it over her stomach just in time for Matthew to poke his head in. "Rain, there you are, get in here, dinner's ready."

"C-coming," she choked. "I was just..." she looked at the atlas, practically diminishing to pieces in her hands, "...deciding where to go first."

Petrified, she followed the others and took her seat. Rain slipped the book under her chair and scooted as close to the table as possible. Neither she nor Lupin said anything or looked anywhere but the plates in front of them.

"I really appreciate you accompanying Rain, Remus," Matthew said, taking a bite. "It puts me at ease to know she has someone there to keep her out of trouble."

"It's my...pleasure," he replied.

"Yes," Sirius added, "Quite noble."

Lupin looked behind him to the empty chair and whipped around.

"I took the liberty of instructing Kreacher to take your coat up to your room for you," Sirius said.

Lupin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And how will you occupy yourself while you're here?" Violet asked Sirius, shifting the focus away from Rain and Lupin.

He turned and answered her directly. "By learning an awful lot about potions, it would seem."

Violet looked as though she regretted the question.

"So Rain, where to first?" Matthew asked.

"What?"

"You said you were in the library looking at places to go."

"OH. Erm-"

"Probably Albania," Lupin interjected. "With any luck, we can find Peter there, too. It's rumored that's where Voldemort is hiding."

"How I wish I could be there to greet him," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

"I'll make sure you get your chance."

"Rain, dear, would you pass the salt?" Molly asked, stirring her food.

Rain looked at the salt shaker in front of her. Reaching it would pose no problems, but handing it to Molly would require her to rise in full view of everyone at the table. She extended her hand, now shaking, and grasped it, looking at Lupin. She pursed her lips, unsure how to proceed, then got an idea. She made a dramatic show to stand and knocked her bowl of soup onto her lap. Pretending to be annoyed was unnecessary, as the hot dish caused a considerable amount of pain.

"BLOODY...HELL!" she cursed.

"Still as scatterbrained as ever," Matthew said, throwing his napkin at her.

"Are you all right?!" Molly asked.

"Yes, yes, excuse me. Sorry. I'd better go and change," she said, wiping herself off. When she turned to leave, the burn still hurt, but the relief of escape was worth it. Running up the stairs towards her room and the salvation of her wand, she passed by yet another portrait, perfectly clean, of a grey-haired woman.

"Filthy half-breed!" she shrieked.

Rain stopped, dumbfounded, and looked at her.

"I know what you are! In my day, this family would have you horse whipped and thrown from our house. Perfectly fine wizarding blood...MUDDIED! RUINED!"

"Who are you?" Rain asked.

"Who am I? How dare you speak to me that way! I am the mistress of this house!"

Rain looked below her portrait and saw the name Walburga Black. "Were you Sirius's mother?"

"I have no son by that name," she spat. "Not after he joined those mudblood-loving fools."

"I see."

"But what I do have is a sense of pride, and a set of eyes in this house. Mark my words, soon enough they'll know who you are. And why."

Desperate to silence her before anyone else could hear her ramblings, Rain saw a chord leading to a curtain over the portrait. She tugged it and the woman disappeared, repeatedly shouting, "Mark my words!"

As she continued to her room and made herself proper, the voice died down and the portrait was silent as the grave on her return trip. Rain would have to see about keeping it covered if she wanted any hope for secrecy in the future.

Late that evening, after everyone vacated the table and the dishes were washed, Rain lagged behind in the kitchen, hoping Lupin would do the same. Bidding goodnight to all, he wandered to where she stood by the sink making tea.

"How's your stomach?" he asked.

"Fine. Better," she answered, secretly still reeling from her encounter with Walburga. She focused hard on stirring her drink. "I...would understand if you're angry with me."

He leaned against the counter, saying nothing.

Rain continued. "You were right. It was a terrible idea."

"I usually find terrible ideas to be worthwhile as long as I'm in your company."

"You say that now, but I didn't exactly give you a choice at the time."

"There is always a choice," he said, pouring a cup for himself. "And, in the end, I made my own. To be clear, regardless of what I say, I have never not wanted you."

"I'm going to get you in trouble one of these days. You ought to be rid of me."

"As you already know, getting into trouble requires getting caught. As a Marauder, covertness is a second nature of mine."

"I'm being serious. I mean, this is probably why you didn't write to me, isn't it?" she persisted. "Surely after thinking it through, at some point you realized I'm entirely too reckless? And stupid? And frivolous?"

"I didn't write because the things I wanted to say were too intimate to share, even with a piece of paper."

She froze, watching the adorable hint of a blush appear on his cheeks.

"Look, Rain, I need you in my life, and I need friends like Sirius in my life, and James, when he was here. My tendency to grow bitter over my situation can get the best of me. While...terrifying and unpredictable...," he smiled at her,"...you are also invigorating and fascinating. You make my days worth living again."

Rain's heart grew full and threatened to burst. She allowed his words to enter her very being and give peace, any desire for further reassurance fading.

"If I loved you less, perhaps I'd be able to tell you no and mean it."

She looked down shyly, then back up. "I'll try and remember that."

"We'll drink to it," he said, clinking his cup with hers.

She took a sip. "So, where will we go first?"

"I haven't fully made up my mind," he answered. "But wherever it is, it'll be us, together, going there. That's enough for me."

A/N: Can I just say, every time I wrote a sentence involving both Violet and Rain, I couldn't help but think of Prince. It's funny, considering I started LAOB back in February, before the recent events. Maybe it was fate. Maybe he would like my little story.
Or...
Maybe I'm just too demanding.
Maybe I'm just like my father...
TOO BOLD.
*Mic drop*